Recovery
by CJS51703
Summary: Time hasn't been very kind to Sans, even after the ending of the RESETs.
1. Chapter 1

*****Hello, everyone! Honesty time: I've actually had this written for, like, two days. I wrote it at work on Monday (as well as the entirety of this story's plot line), and I was lazy like Sans yesterday (I won't lie), and I realized that I would never get this done if I didn't go on and get this chapter up. So, Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk belong to Toby Fox, and let's go!**

**Chapter One: I Walk A Lonely Road**

At the age of eight was when Frisk faced the Underground.

Now, the fact that anyone had freed the monsters was astonishing, let alone it being a single little girl. But despite that, Frisk was still a kid. She lived with Toriel, and everntually Asgore, for the two had decided to give their relationship another chance.

But Frisk's home away from home was the residence of Sans and Papyrus. Frisk having sleepovers there was such a normality that eventually, Sans and Papyrus had just made it easier by turning a guest room that was doing nothing but gathering dust into a room for her. So, she was more or less a member of the household.

However, because Papyrus had to work more often, Sans was more involved in Frisk's life than his brother was. The two did everything together; went to the movies, had sleepovers, went swimming at the county pool, and much more.

It also was a practical advantage, their closeness to each other. Since Toriel was a teacher and Asgore ran a flower shop, Frisk didn't have a consistently-guaranteed ride home from school from either of them. But, Sans always showed up and brought Frisk home, staying at the house until Asgore or Toriel arrived.

At the age of thirteen, Frisk would just get dropped off at her house after school. And when she received her first car after turning sixteen, she didn't need to be driven or picked up anywhere.

After graduation, she began getting distant. Her life was taken over by college, looking for jobs, and her new friends. Sans was sad that his little buddy was out on her own, but he chalked it up to being a part of life.

At least he still had Papyrus.

However, even that was falling away from him. Like any other person, Papyrus had found his love. That love was Mettaton. After a year and a half of dating, Papyrus decided to move out and join Mettaton in his luxurious home.

And that left Sans all alone.

XxX

Sans laid across his couch, blowing smoke out from his mouth. He put the used cigarette in the ash tray on the coffee table—well, he attempted to. It missed and hit the floor, but it wasn't like he cared. That one would just join the rest of the trash in his floor.

He reached for a bottle on the floor—a bottle of whiskey, to be exact. He drank about half the bottle in one go before he plunked it back down on the ground. It was a good burn as it trailed down. He'd grown used to it, if the countless bottles of alcohol around his house and his tab to the liquar store meant anything.

He was about to go for another swig until he saw his phone light up on the coffee table. That was quite the anomaly... no one ever really contacted him any more.

So, he picked it up and saw that it was a text.

_Hey, Sans. I'm working tonight and I think Papyrus is coming too, if you want to come eat dinner where I'm waitressing at._

The text was from Frisk. A slight smile came across Sans' face. Once he sent a text to confirm he was coming and got the details, he hauled himself up from the couch.

It looked like he needed a clean shirt.

*****Yes, not much happened here. The next chapter should make up for what can only be known as a chapter to set things up, don't worry. And yes, Frisk is a girl, but that's not the main focus here. Anywyas, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

*****Hello, everyone! Note to self: stop procrastination... later. I have to put a trigger warning for a tiiiiny bit of sexual harrassment (oops, spoiler), but it's nothing major. Anyways, Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk belong to Toby Fox, two OCs that you'll meet momentarily belong to me (and my best friend), and let's go!**

**Chapter Two: Reunions Both Ways**

"Here you go, Papyrus," Frisk said, putting the glass on the table. Although she was older now (and had embraced her matured appearance), she still held to her kindness and above all, her DETERMINATION.

"Thank you, human," Papyrus said as he accepted his glass with a smile.

"Has Sans gotten in touch with you? I told him I was working and that you were already here. Besides, he said that he was coming," Frisk said.

"Oh, you know my brother. But for someone who can teleport, he really does take a while to get from place to place. Especially nowadays," Papyrus said.

Before either of them could press further into that matter, they heard slippers padding against the ground. "What's up, Paps? 'Ey, Frisk. How're you guys doing?" Sans asked, leaning with one hand on the table.

"It's good to see you again," Frisk said. Sans gave her a hug. "It's been too long, kid," he said. Then, he turned to the other member of their little party.

"Paps, let's hit the bar, huh?" he said. "You can still eat. You'll just be at the bar," Frisk added. "...alright, then," Papyrus said, tone uncertain. So, the three went to sit at the bar.

Working the bar was a tall, young woman in the same uniform as Frisk. However, she seemed to have issues seeing, bringing the cups close to her squinted, ocean-colored eyes. At last, she sighed, and put the cup in her hand down, blowing some of her short, caramel-colored hair out of her face as she sighed.

"Did you call your sister?" Frisk asked as she stepped behind the bar. "Yes. She'll be here in a bit. Who're these two?" the waitress asked.

"Sans and Papyrus. They're old friends of mine," Frisk said. She turned to her aforementioned old friends. "This is Penny." Her voice dropped in volume slightly as she added, "She can get a little cranky form time to time, but she's generally pretty nice."

The skelebros nodded, and the three went to some barstools to sit.

"Takin' your dinner break?" Penny asked. "Yeah. I mean, we're not really busy right now," Frisk said. She whipped out her notepad and pen. "I can put an order in for us, and we can eat together." So, Sans and Papyrus placed their orders for dinner and Frisk went off to get put them in.

"Excuse me, human? Are you having trouble seeing?" Papyrus asked, watching from his side of the bar. "Yeah. My glasses got broken earlier today, and I'm next to blind without them. Can I get you two anything to drink?" Penny asked.

"Simply a water for myself. But why must you keep working if you can't see?" Papyrus asked. "Something strong enough to knock me off this stool," Sans requested.

"Because my boss is a cheapskate and the patrons here, most of them are... bad. Really bad. I'm only here for the reason that this is a job I can hold. And it allows me to pay for my half of the apartment's expenses. Me and my sister split whatever we get," Penny explained as she made the drinks. Papyrus' water was a little over the mark of 'full', and Sans' glass was dripping down the sides.

"I mixed up some labels probably, so I don't know what all's in that cup for certain," Penny warned. Sans accepted it and downed some of it nonetheless. The cup was half-empty when it met the top of the bar again.

"I dunno what's in this either," the stocky skeleton said, "but top me off."

XxX

The night went on. Papyrus, Frisk, and Sans ate dinner. Penny kept serving drinks, despite her better judgement, and glancing at the door.

However... Sans couldn't quite take his bony fingers from his glass.

He slowly lost his sobriety with each gulp going down his throat. Despite Frisk and Papyrus' best attempts to cut him off, he just kept on going, drunkly mumbling, slapping the bar and occassionally his friends.

What changed things was when finally, another young woman walked in.

Her hair was caramel-colored, like Penny's, but it was in a long ponytail. She was shorter and not quite as slim, her eyes brown. "Thank you!" Penny said, relieved.

The girl, presumably the sister that had been called earlier on, walked over. "I"m sorry... I got caught up at work, and traffic was no help. But still, here you go," she said, passing over a blue case. Penny grabbed it and put on a pair of round-lensed glasses. "Finally," she sighed, a relaxed smile crossing her face.

"I gotta head back. I've still got some things to wrap u—!" The sister was stopped in her attempt to leave when she was tripped.

And when she sat up, she saw a drunken skeleton over her.

"L... lemme help ya stand up, baby..." Sans slurred, holding out his hand. The sister got up on her own. "I can help myself up. I'm going now," she said sternly.

As she turned away, she felt a bony hand slap against her butt.

"Sans! That's it, he's going home. I'm so sorry, human," Papyrus apologized as he threw Sans over his shoulder and left.

Frisk stood up, her dirty plate and glass in hand. "I'm.. going to put these in the dish pan and get back to work," she said. And, she was out of there.

Penny walked around the bar, touching her older sister's shoulder tentatively. "You gonna be okay?" Her sibling jerked away and gave a mere two (well, technically three) words before walking away.

"I'll survive."

*****Told you it was nothing major. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3

*****Hello, everyone! I wrote this chapter while I was at work today because it was a slow day, and I got home an hour ago, so here this chapter is for your reading pleasure! Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk belong to Toby Fox, anyone else belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Three: You Need Help**

Frisk decided to clock out early and ride with Ppayrus after Sans' little episode. Penny agreed to work both positions—before being moved to bartender, she was a waitress, so it wasn't like it was too much of a struggle.

So, Papyrus was the driver, and Frisk sat in the back to keep Sans upright. He might've acted rude, but he didn't deserve to suffocate on his own vomit, should the hazard arise.

"Has he ever acted like this before? Sober or drunk?" Frisk asked.

"No. Normally, he never gets drunk. And when he does, he just passes out. Never has he had the tolerance to stay awake for long after he's had so much to drink. He must've built up some immunity of some sort," Papyrus commented.

Frisk looked at Sans once more. He was passed out asleep, mouth wide open.

"I guess so."

XxX

Upon getting to Sans' apartment, Papyrus and Frisk got a surprise. Frisk coughed, fanning her face. "Good Christ..." she mumbled.

"I agree, human. That's one strong cigarette scent. But look at all of these alcohol bottles!" Papyrus added. He walked inside, Sans slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Frisk closed the door and followed him, looking around. "Okay, I don't even want to know what that stain is," she said as she saw a large splotch that had long since set into the carpet.

"Neither do I. Let's just get my brother to his room," Papyrus said. So, he lead Frisk to the small, hot mess of a bedroom.

But although Sans was now propped up to sleep on his side, Papyrus wasn't quite done. His eye sockets had an orange glow as he gently pulled Sans' SOUL from his chest.

"Whoa... how come you can pull his SOUL out? And how come your eye sockets didn't light up like that when we fought?" Frisk asked.

"I can only do this with Sans because he's my brother. And my eye lights only glow when I do something special regarding my magic. For example, if my special attack hadn't been ruined by that stupid dog, then my eye sockets would have glowed," Papyrus said. He sounded a little ticked off as he recalled that incident, but he had to move past that for right now.

Floating over his hands was a SOUL, but how it was still in tact was beyond both the human and monster who were currently looking at it. It was hardly glowing and gray, covered in ugly cracks.

Mortified, Papyrus returned the SOUL to its proper place. "Oh my God..." he said quietly.

"The cigarettes and alcohol are playing a big part in this, no doubt about it. But there's got to be something else that's making his SOUL so... so broken!" Frisk said.

Papyrus nodded and stood up from where he'd been sitting at Sans' side. "I'm spending the night here," he said, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

Frisk nodded. "I will too."

XxX

The next day, Sans woke up to a pounding headache. However, the pain was nothing new. He rolled out of bed and had to pause for a moment to get his bearings. When he eventually did, he trudged off to get some Advil as the memories of the previous night flooding back to him.

It was when he reached the kitchen was when the surprise kicked in.

In the kitchen was Papyrus, who was cooking breakfast. In the living room on the couch were Frisk and Penny. The former wore a waitress uniform and the latter was in casual clothes.

Sans went to where his brother was. "What's for breakfast?" he asked as he grabbed a glass of water.

"Well, after going on a grocery run because despite my greatness, I can't make something out of nothing, the Great Ppayrus is preparing pancakes, bacon, and eggs," Papyrus said.

Sans popped some pills into his mouth, swallowing them with a gulp of water. "Thanks, bro." But the response he got made him freeze in his place.

"Go talk to the human."

Papyrus' tone was unsettlingly stern, so this had to have been important. "Er... okay," Sans said. Then, he sat next to Frisk. "Hey, bud."

Penny crossed her arms, evidently still a little cranky and defenside. But, she kinda had the right.

"We saw the alcohol. The cigarettes. And... and Papyrus pulled out you SOUL. We saw it," Frisk said, voice soft. Sans was surprised by the last part. "So... you know how messed up I really am?" he asked.

"You just need to get off of the substances, Dunkle Sans. Please," Frisk pleaded. Sans stiffened at the nickname; it was something he hadn't heard in a while.

"What're you doing, sendin' me to the nut house?" he asked dryly. "No. Penny had to go thorugh therapy a while back, and she gave me a recommendation of someone who can help you," Frisk said. "So not the nut house, but to some shrink? Okay," Sans said.

"Here's her card. Call her before Frisk has a stroke or give me a nervous breakdown talking about you," Penny said, holding out a business card.

Sans took it and skimmed over it. "Dr. Cassandra E. Fenton," he mumbled. He looked over to Frisk and reluctantly succumbed. "Fine."

XxX

The next day was Sans' first appointment. He arrived and was lead back to the door with Dr. Fenton's name on it relatively soon. But when he walked in and saw her, he froze.

Dr. Fenton was none other than Penny's sister from the bar.

*****Now you see why I never actually told you the name of Penny's sister, huh? Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

*****Hello, everyone! I just got back from my school open house, and some writing always makes me feel better after a trip to school. Although this is a short chapter (sorry), it's a chapter. Sans belongs to Toby Fox, Dr. Fenton belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Four: Awkward...**

Sans froze at the doorway, and it made him feel no better about things that Dr. Fenton looked at him and crossed her arms.

"Are you sober enough to not grope me now?" she asked flatly, turning away from her computer. "Hey, I paid for that mistake with the hangover the next morning," Sans said.

"Whatever. Anyways, have a seat. I'm curious, though; how did you get my name and where I work?" Dr. Fenton asked.

Sans sat down in one of the cushy chairs in front of her desk. "Ya sister gave me your card," he said.

Instead of that assuaging the confusion, Dr. Fenton just looked more perplexed. "But why would Penny give you my card? She's seen men do..."

She cut herself off before her sentence could be finished. Instead, she regained her calm demeanor and looked at her new patient.

Sans raised a brow bone, curiosity piqued. Still, he decided not to press. "Well, doc, I've had some... problems... for the past few years, and my adoptive kid found out," he explained.

Dr. Fenton took out a notepad and pencil, resting them on her desk. "If you've got problems, then I get checks to help you fix them. Elaborate. But before you do, can I get your name for future reference?" she asked.

"Sans. Sans the skeleton," Sans replied, "and let's just say that I don't take abandonment well."

XxX

An hour passed. Dr. Fenton and Sans seemed to have forgotten about their dispute at the bar. Sans had let Dr. Fenton in on the basis of his problems, as requested, and she offered some more healthy coping mechanisms.

"...so we'll meet back here next week, then?" the therapist asked, jotting it down on her calender. "Yep. Same time, same day, or Frisk will have my head," the skeleton half-joked.

"You're free to go. But I have one more requestion for you," Dr. Fenton said. Sans had just stood up to go when he'd heard that. "Which is?"

Dr. Fenton sat back in her chair, relaxing a bit. "I don't like being called 'doctor', or even Cassandra, for that matter," she said.

"Call me Cassie."

*****Like I said, a short chapter, but it's a chapter. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

*****Hello, everyone! I guess one of the few positives of school is that I get more writing done, mainly so I can stay awake during class. Anyways, Sans and Papyrus belong to Toby Fox, Cassie and Penny belong to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Five: How I Feel**

For three months, once every week, Sans would go to Cassie for therapy. And quite frankly, he was getting a lot of help out of this. He didn't drink or smoke nearly as much as he did before.

But even if he wasn't getting help from this, he wouldn't be opposed to going so much.

XxX

Papyrus always liked to be back in Sans' apartment when his older brother came back from therapy. Sure enough, Sans popped into his apartment at the usual time on his therapy days, a ketchup bottle in his hand. "'Sup," he said casually, plunking down on the couch.

"Hello, brother! How was your appointment?" Papyrus asked brightly. "Same as ever. Cassie's doing good, and she's doin' me some good too," Sans said.

Papyrus opened his mouth to speak, but cut it off when he picked up on something. Or rather, the lack thereof. "Brother, you don't smell nearly as much as you do like your drugs on a normal basis. How much of either have you had today?" Papyrus asked.

Sans thought on it, checking the time as well. "It's past five PM, and I've only had two glasses of that Fire Whiskey from Grillby's, and I think I've only smoked three cigs," he recalled.

"Wowie! Your therapist is magic! You're doing a lot better than you were before?" Papyrus exclaimed.

Sans smiled and took a sip from his ketchup bottle. "Well, Cassie ain't magic, but she sure is somethin' special," he said. He kept on smiling until he heard his brother speak.

"Are you in love with her?"

Sans whipped his head around to look at his brother. "...you're kidding me, right? She's my therapist!" he said. "But you talk about her like she means more than just that to you," Papyrus commented.

Sans opened his mouth to reply, but shut it in thought. At last, a smile came back to his face.

Maybe Cassie meant more to him than he previously thought.

XxX

Penny was always home first on Wednesday afternoons. It was the one day out of the week she worked the day shift only. And yet, she found her sister sitting on the couch, going through some paperwork on the couch in their little apartment.

"Home early?" Penny asked as she came in and sat down. "Sans was my last appointment for today. I needed to get out of my office. So, I just brought my paperwork home. My mind has just been... all over the place lately," Cassie said.

Penny nodded; she had heard about her older sister's patients often enough, but the aforementioned one seemed... out of the ordinary. "Is he the one who you gave permission with your nickname?" she recalled.

Cassie nodded, brown eyes traied to her paperwork. "I told him that I let all of my patients do that," she admitted. Penny crossed her arms, amused. "Even the little seven-year-old who comes in calls you Miss Cassie. You got a soft spot for Sans or something?" she asked.

She was joking, but Cassie's blush and sudden added interest in the papers in front of her gave away a serious answer to a meaningless question.

"So... you really feel something for him?" Penny asked, expression solem and tone matching. "For a while now, yes," Cassie confessed.

The girls sat in silence at that. "You know what happened with your last boyfriend," Penny said quietly.

"It's hard to forget being brutally raped and seeing your sister getting shot in the stomach for trying to help," Cassie replied at the same volume.

They both still had the scars from that night, mental and physical.

"...and even thought the first thing he did was drunkenly touch your butt, you still like him?" Penny asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Sans was drunk then. I'm getting to know him better now, and..." Cassie took a steady inhale and exhale, "...and I think I'm going to ask him out to dinner."

XxX

Sans stepped out of the bathroom after showering, exhaling as the cool bedroom greeted him. He checked his phone and was surprised to see a missed call from Cassie. Still, he called back.

"Sorry I didn't pick up earlier, but I don't usually take my calls in the shower."

"It's alright, Sans."

"Anywyas, what do you need? Am I so messed up that we gotta have phone visits now?"

"No, this isn't about your therapy. This is about... asking you something as a friend."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"...would you like to meet me for dinner sometime?"

Sans was shocked at first. Then, he smiled.

"Just gimme the details."

*****Now that that's done, I'm off to go shower and watch Fullmetal Alchemist. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

*****Hello, everyone! Okay, confession time: I've actually had this finished for about three days now. I was just busy, and people were giving me a bad time. But I'm here now. Anyways, Sans belongs to Toby Fox, Cassie and Penny belong to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Six: Dating Start!**

Sans glanced at himself in the mirror once more. A white dress shirt beneath his usual blue jacket, black dress pants, and black shoes.

He shoved the plastic bag into his pocket, checking the time on his phone. "Well," he said to himself, "here goes nothing."

Then, he walked out of his apartment.

XxX

"This looks great, Penny," Cassie commented, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

She had on modest makeup that looked good still—some light rouge, mascara, and lip gloss—while her hair was neatly brushed out. A hair clip that looked like a flower was behind her left ear. She wore a baby-blue dress, tight until her waist and then flowing to her knees. Her sleeves were quarter-length, and beneath her dress were black leggings and black flats.

"You know what to do if he starts treating you like..." Penny trailed off. "I know. I have my phone," Cassie said. Penny hugged her before they heard a knock on the door of their little apartment.

"That's you, sis," Penny siad. "Good luck." Cassie gave her a hug before going to see her companion. Penny smiled as she started cleaning up her makeup and hair mess.

Her big sister was growing up so fast.

XxX

"Table under the name Sans for two," Sans said to the hostess upon arriving, Cassie standing next to him. The hostess flipped through her book, then nodded. She picked up two menus and two rolls of silverware. "You can come with me."

So, she lead Sans and Cassie to sit at a table. She dropped their silverware and menus in front of them before leaving. The two sat down and ordered their drinks.

"Fire Whiskey again, Sans?" their waitress asked. She must've known him. "Not tonight. A bottle of ketchup will do," Sans said. When the waitress walked away, Cassie looked a little confused.

"You... only drink ketchup? And it's just accepted like a normal thing?" she asked. Sans nodded. "The staff knows me by now. 'Sides, we all have our tastes. I didn't say anything about your soda, now, did I?" he asked.

It was a few minutes later that he received his beloved ketchup and drank some. Cassie watched, sipping on her soda.

"...I guess not."

XxX

The waitress was quick to take their orders. However, when it came to anything after that, it was Sans and Cassie on their own. And they had to carry their conversation on their own.

So, Cassie crossed her legs beneath the table. "It's nice to get to be out with you beyond being in the office," she opened.

Sans nodded. "Yeah. And last I checked, it's not normal to be asked about my mental state when eating Mexican food," he added.

Cassie smiled. "True. I'd rather just eat my dinner right now," she said.

They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping on condiments and Coca-cola. Spanish music was on in the background.

"I, uh, got a gift for you," Sans said eventually, breaking the silence. "Oh?" Cassie inquired. She watched as Sans pulled a plastic bag out form his pocket and pass it across the table. "I didn't have wrapping paper," he shrugged, a little sheepish about it. "It's fine," Cassie said.

She took out the contents of the bag and saw a jewelry box. She opened it and saw a silver charm bracelet. There were a few charms on it—a pink C, a red book, a blue star, and a red heart.

"This is great, Sans," she said. She clipped the bracet around her left wrist. "Can I come clean with ya, Cass?" Sans asked. "Sure," Cassie replied. The nickname was normal by now.

Sans had her attention. He sighed and braced himself. Well, here went nothing.

"I came to you because I was fightin' depression. I felt like nothing could pull me outta my spiral. But you? You make me happy. I really, really like you, Cassie. I think you're so pretty, so kind, and so..." He sighed. "Call me a creep, but I've got feelings for you. I know that being around you has changed me on the plus side."

Sans awaited rejection. He awaited being called names, maybe being completely up and left as well. However, he didn't get any of that.

He felt Cassie's warm hand take his own across the table. She actually smiled. "

I like you too."

XxX

Dinner and dessert were well-enjoyed. Afterwards, Sans took Cassie back to her apartment. They stood outside, hands in each other's.

"I had a really good time tonight. This is the first date I've had that I've ever really enjoyed," Cassie said. "I think that I'll recover quite nicely with your love in my life," Sans replied.

Eyelights met caramel-colored eyelights. Then, their mouths met in a kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other before finally releasing.

"I think I have to go now, Sans. I... I love you," Cassie said. "Love you too, Cassie," Sans said. When they separated and went to their respective apartments, they still were smiling.

Perhaps Cassie could learn to trust and Sans could recover.

The start of their newfound love was only the beginning.

*****There's still one more chapter left. Be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

*****Hello, everyone! No, I didn't have this one done half a week ago, I finished this today. Anyways, here we are, last chapter. Sans is the only character that I don't own, he goes to Toby Fox, and everyone else belongs to me. Let's go!**

**Epilogue: Five Years Later**

Sans paced back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital, fiddling nervously with the golden wedding band around his left ring finger. He rarely drank nowadays, and his smokes were occasional. But he wanted both until a nurse came up to him.

"Cassandra's husband?" she guessed. "Yeah," Sans said. "She hasn't had the baby yet, but she's close. C'mon, follow me," the nurse said. She began to go towards the elevator, but was stopped by a bony hand on her shoulder.

"Just tell me the room number," Sans said. "I can get us there faster."

XxX

Sans made sure to appear outside of the shut door first, but he quickly ran inside with the nurse behind him.

"Just _get it out!_" Cassie cried, gripping the bed sheets so tightly that they were tearing. As she leaned forward, the doctor gripped her ankles to keep her legs apart. "It's crowning now, miss. Your husband is here too, but you have to just keep pushing," he said, watching how she progressed.

"Sans!" Cassie cried, snapping her head to the door. Sans ran over and took her hand, resting his free hand on her back. "I'm here, Cass. I'm here. You're almost there," he assured.

Cassie gave a few more hard pushes before she just began to cry into Sans' chest. "Sans... I can't do this. It hurts so badly," she whimpered.

Sans rubbed her back. "Cassie, you supported and fixed me. If you can do that, then you can get a few more pushes done," he said comfortingly.

Cassie took an even breath. Then, she pushed harder than she ever had before. Sans pressed on her belly in some attempt to help ease the newborn out. But he was terrified when Cassie seemed to just black out. She opened her eyes (and Sans calmed down considerably) when a noise sounded.

A baby was crying.

Cassie smiled despite the exhaustion clear across her face. Sans grinned, holding his wife's hand. "Well?" he prompted. The doctor picked up the messy, wailing baby. "A girl," he said.

Cassie smiled. "L... let me hold her," she pleaded. "Just let me make sure she's nice and healthy," the doctor said. He met the nurse at the opposite side of the room to tend to the baby. Meanwhile, Cassie got some rest. She scooted over on the bed, and Sans sat next to her.

He wanted to say how proud he was. He wanted to say how happy he was. But... Cassie needed a bit of peace after her labor. So, Sans just kept his arm around her, letting her rest.

But five minutes later, a nurse came over with a bundle of pink blankets. "She's healthy, but she wants her mama," she said. So, she passed the baby over. Cassie held the bundle close to her chest.

The newborn seemed to take a lot after her mother. She was human, and had the same skin tone to the dot. However, she did take some things from her daddy. After all, white hair (well, the little bit she had), skeletal hands, and eye sockets with little white pinpricks of light in them didn't really run in Cassie's family. And yet, despite the abnormalities... she was adorable.

"I think she's perfect," Sans said softly. He cupped the newborn's cheek gently and stroked it with his thumb. Slowly, the baby's cries calmed. She looked at her parents...

...then, she smiled.

Cassie smiled back. "Our sweet little girl," she said, her voice soft and filled with love. Sans' perma-grin widened. It was the happiness he'd felt when he knew he'd recover with Cassie, but only better. Way, way better.

"So, we still going with the name we picked for a girl?" he asked.

Cassie nodded. "Belleza," she said. "Bella."

**The End**

*****And there you have it. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


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